OKLAHOMA CITY — Texas softball, the defending national champion, faces a tall task if it hopes to repeat after dropping its first game at the Women’s College World Series 6-3 to SEC foe Tennessee Thursday at Devon Park.
Texas ace Teagan Kavan gave up three runs on three hits in three innings, including a three-run homer by Tennessee freshman catcher Elsa Morrison in the second inning. Perhaps with an eye on Friday’s elimination game against Mississippi State, Texas coach Mike White pulled Kavan to start the fourth inning for reliever Citlaly Gutierrez. Tennessee (48-10) touched Gutierrez for four hits and three runs, doing just enough to keep brief Texas rallies at bay.
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Texas (47-12) only managed one hit in four innings off Tennessee starter Sage Mardjetko, but the Longhorns did find success against fellow All-American Karlyn Pickens after the 6-foot-1 flame-thrower — her fastball reaches 79.4 mph, the fastest recorded pitch in NCAA history — entered the game to start the fifth. The Longhorns tagged Pickins for four runs and three hits, and Leighann Goode’s two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning pulled Texas to within 5-3.
But Tennessee added a little insurance in the top of the seventh, and Pickens sent Texas down in order in the bottom of the frame to end the game.
Texas and Mississippi State, which lost to Texas Tech Thursday, will play at 6 p.m. Friday in order to determine who stays alive in the WCWS. The two SEC rivals did not play each other in the regular season.
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Read below for a replay and highlights Thursday as the Texas Longhorns lost to the Tennessee Volunteers in the Women’s College World Series.
MORE: How Teagan Kavan’s ‘motivated’ performance pushed Texas into Women’s College World Series
Texas Longhorns catcher Reese Atwood (14) celebrates a hit for a triple by short stop Viviana Martinez (23) during the NCAA Softball Championship Super Regional final against Arizona State at Red & Charline McCombs Field on Sunday, May 24, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas goes down in order and falls in its first game at the WCWS. Now, the Longhorns will have to beat Mississippi State tomorrow at 6 p.m. in order to avoid an early exit in the double-elimination WCWS format.
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Tennessee keeps answering Longhorn runs. Taelyn Holley scores on a sac fly by Emma Clark just before Sophia Knight is tagged out at third. Texas is down to three outs with the bottom of the order coming up in Ashton Maloney, Kaiah Altmeyer and Jaycie Nichols.
Reese Atwood gets a two-out single, the first hit of the game from the top half of the Texas batting order, and Leighann Goode follows with a two-run shot over the centerfield wall. Texas still has life, especially since Karlyn Pickens came in for Sage Mardjetko to start the fifth inning.
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Tennessee gets that run back after pinch hitter Elsa Morrison hammers a two-out double off the top of the wall and pinch runner Zoie Shuler scores on an infield single by Gabby Leach. Texas 2B Leighann Goode got a glove on Leach’s hit before a bobble, but no error from the official scorer.
Karlyn Pickens comes in to pitch for Tennessee to open the frame, and the Tennessee ace promptly gives up back-to-back singles to Hannah Wells and Ashton Maloney. Pinch runner Taylor Anderson scores on a throwing error after Tennessee SS Bella Faw tries to turn a double play and sails the ball into the Tennessee dugout. But the Vols escape further damage after Sophia Knight tracks down a long fly ball by Kayden Henry.
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Texas reliever Citlaly Gutierrez gets a little wild, and it costs Texas. Taelyn Holley leads off the frame with a single and reaches second on a wild pitch. A groundout from from Sophia Knight moves Holley to third, and she scores on another wild pitch. Big insurance run for Tennessee.
Vivi Martinez draws a one-out walk but nothing else. The Longhorns still just have one hit off Tennessee starter Sage Mardjetko. By the way, Oklahoma may have missed the WCWS for the first time in a decade, but the Sooner faithful haven’t. The crowd is majority crimson, and they are making it a road game for the Longhorns.
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Texas coach Mike White is getting strategic. He brings in Citlaly Gutierrez after ace Teagan Kavan gives up three hits and three runs while throwing 54 pitches. Could he already be thinking about having Kavan for a possible elimination game vs Mississippi State tomorrow? Gutierrez retires the side in order.
Texas freshman Jaycie Nichols, an Oklahoma native from Durant, smacks a little grounder to Tennessee 2B Emma Clarke, who has the slightest of bobbles. That’s enough for the speedy Nichols to cross first. It’s ruled a single for the Longhorns’ first hit. But Tennessee 1B Makenzie Butt doubles up Nichols after snagging a line drive by Kayden Henry to end the frame.
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Tennessee’s Ella Dodge legs out a one-out double that just gets under a sweeping tag attempt by Texas 2B Leighann Goode, but she gets caught in a rundown between second and third after a bloop single by Emma Clarke. But replay says, nope, Goode missed the tag by a shoelace in the rundown and Dodge is safe at third. But Dodge takes off again on a grounder by Alannah Leach and gets caught between third and home. Destined for an out, I guess. Kavan gives up two hits in the frame but no runs.
Texas 2B Leighann Goode draws a one-out walk, but Tennessee pitcher Sage Mardjetko fans Hannah Wells and forces a groundout by Ashton Maloney to end the frame.
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Tennessee C Elsa Morrison sends the first pitch she sees to the fans in centerfield, and the Vols have struck the first blow with a three-run homer. Tennessee’s Alannah Leach gets plunked by Texas starter Teagan Kavan to lead off the frame, and Makenzie Butt followed with a full-count walk. Suddenly, Texas is in big early trouble.
Tennessee pitcher Sage Mardjetko needs a whopping nine pitches to send Texas down in order. These pitchers apparently don’t need to warm up on a pleasant, 80-degree day in Oklahoma City.
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That was quick for Texas starter Teagan Kavan. Three up, three down on just five pitches.
Texas starter Teagan Kavan throws a strike to Sophia Knight, and we’re off in OKC. The Longhorns are the designated home team.
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Not surprisingly, Texas ace Teagan Kavan gets the start for Texas. Last season’s WCWS Most Outstanding Player, Kavan didn’t allow an earned run in 31⅔ innings in 2025 while leading the Longhorns to the title. Tennessee has a wealth of pitching options for the team with the nation’s lowest ERA (1.35), and coach Karen Weekly will turn to All-American Sage Mardjetko, who recorded a career-high 165 strikeouts across 119.0 innings pitched as well as a career-best 1.12 ERA. Fellow All-American Karlyn Pickens, the top pick in the recent AUSL draft, will be available out of the bullpen.
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SpotPos# PlayerBatsAvg1cf21 Kayden HenryL.41721b20 Katie StewartR.4363ss23 Viviana MartinezL.3874c14 Reese AtwoodR.33752b43 Leighann GoodeR.3456dp13 Hannah WellsR.2817rf7 Ashton MaloneyL.3058lf44 Kaiah AltmeyerL.30093b24 Jaycie NicholsR.33110p17 Teagan KavanRSpotPos# PlayerBatsAvg1cf2 Sophia KnightL.41023b25 Ella DodgeL.29832b13 Emma ClarkeR.2734dp10 Alannah LeachL.32551b98 Makenzie ButtR.3056c22 Elsa MorrisonR.2657rf55 Gabby LeachL.2878ss12 Bella FawR.2089lf27 Taelyn HolleyL.28610p6 Sage MardjetkoR-
Texas Tech blasted Mississippi State 8-0 in the first game of the WCWS, which means the Red Raiders will face the winner of Texas vs. Tennessee Saturday at 2 p.m.. The loser of the Longhorns’ game against Tennessee will face Mississippi State Friday at 6 p.m., with the loser of that game eliminated from the WCWS.
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When: 1:35 p.m. Thursday
Where: Devon Park, Oklahoma City
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TV/radio: ESPN; texaslonghorns.com
Reach Texas beat reporter Thomas Jones via email at tjones@statesman.com.